There’s a group called the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, and they have done extensive research on the future of robot sex. The group, cofounded by two European academics, looked into what the market for sex robots looks like right now, as well as what sort of future these devices could lead to.

There’s a lot to unpack from this report, but perhaps most interesting is that experts all seem to agree that fornicating robots have the distinct possibility of causing social isolation. How could this happen? Well, here are a few explanations:

Spending time in a robot relationship could create an inability to form human friendships; robots don’t meet the species-specific needs of humans; sex robots could desensitize humans to intimacy and empathy, which can only be developed through experiencing human interaction and mutual consenting relationships; real sexual relationships could become overwhelming because relations with robots are easier.